Weyauwega-Fremont board approves Narcan in schools

FREMONT (WLUK) -- Narcan is a drug that reverses opiate overdoses and it will now be in all Weyauwega-Fremont schools.

Monday evening, school board members approved the idea.

It's a drug usually carried by paramedics, but soon it will be in the Weyauwega-Fremont Schools.

That drug is naloxone, often known by the brand name Narcan.

"The idea was presented by our school nurse through recommendation of the school nursing association," explained superintendent Scott Bleck.

The drug reverses the effects of heroin and other opiate overdoses. It can save lives.

Bleck told FOX 11 News the move is in response to a growing problem around the state and country.

"To become proactive instead of reactive on the epidemic of opiate overdose," he said.

Bleck told us there have not been any opiate overdoses within the schools.

"School communities are not immune to that environment. We don't go looking for it, but as most things in life they find their way into our environment," he explained.

Bleck said the plan would be to have drug in each of the school buildings and have it available to trained staff members only.

"It would be professional administered under supervision," he added.

School board president Doug Ehrenberg told FOX 11 this isn't just a move to protect students and staff, but also any member of the public who comes to the district.

"There's a wide range of people coming to different sporting events or academic events and if anything were to happen we'd be covered, " he said.

The board president says it's sad this move is necessary, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"It is very sad, but we haven't had any issues in the past and hopefully we won't, but I'd rather, if one of our kids in the district went down the wrong path, we'd be able to help them," explained Ehrenberg.

District leaders told us they haven't gotten any complaints from parents about this plan.